Health members working in the NHS in England are keeping up the pressure on pay this month, with Christmas cards for MPs and health secretary Jeremy Hunt with a simple message: All we want for Christmas is fair pay.
Every health branch in England has been sent a giant Christmas card with plenty of space on the back for UNISON members, other NHS staff and the public to sign and hand to their local MP, plus a pack of 20 small individual cards.
You can use these to:
- collect signatures to show the depth of feeling about pay in the NHS which will then be given to local MPs to encourage them to put pressure on Mr Hunt;
- be a focus for recruitment and organising in December;
- encourage members to update their details, especially mobile numbers and email addresses so we can contact them about the campaign.
Some suggested activities branches can do to promote the pay campaign inlcude:
- arrange a stall somewhere in the hospital or other NHS workplaceand encourage people to come and sign the card;
- taking the card around the hospital and ask staff and patients to sign it – ask them to include their job title or put ‘patient’ after their name, as appropriate – and
- take extra sheets of paper in case you fill up the card;
- encouraging non9embers to sign the card and talk to them about what UNISON is doing about their pay – they may decide to join;
- arranging a meeting with your MP a few days before Christmas to deliver the card, talk to them about your pay and ask for their support during future industrial action.
Don’t for get to tell your local press that you are delivering the card to your local MP and and make sure someone from the branch takes a photograph for use on your branch website or in your branch newsletter. We would also like to see those pictures if you can email them to action@unison.co.uk.
To find out how to contact your MP, visit: www.theyworkforyou.com/mps/.
